Best Industrial Design Schools Near Lafayette, CO (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lafayette, Colorado has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Lafayette has a population of about 30,471. Median household income is $110,431 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boulder, CO metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $203,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Lafayette

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Lafayette, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lafayette city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Lafayette. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 18.0 miles from Lafayette
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado industrial design page.

Industrial Design Wages Near Lafayette

Lafayette is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $107,990 Boulder, CO $102,652
Industrial Engineers $117,160 Boulder, CO $111,369
Graphic Designers $67,680 Boulder, CO $64,335
Mechanical Drafters $102,710 Boulder, CO $97,633
Interior Designers $80,850 Boulder, CO $76,854
Architectural and Engineering Managers $203,420 Boulder, CO $193,365
Set and Exhibit Designers N/A CO statewide –
Mechanical Engineers $124,360 Boulder, CO $118,213

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Lafayette at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 30,471 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $110,431 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 65.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lafayette-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Lafayette, CO?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Lafayette. The closest is Metropolitan State University of Denver in Denver, CO (18.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Metropolitan State University of Denver (18.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Lafayette?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Lafayette are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($203,420), Mechanical Engineers ($124,360), Industrial Engineers ($117,160). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Louisville instead of Lafayette?

Louisville, CO is 2.9 miles from Lafayette and has its own set of local industrial design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lafayette an affordable place to study industrial design?

Lafayette’s median household income of $110,431 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lafayette while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Industrial Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Lafayette

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lafayette:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Industrial Design Schools in Colorado (2026)